Los Angeles Asian Food Recommendations

My coworker asked me for Asian food in Los Angeles recommendations and I spent a long time making a list.  I go to a lot of new restaurants every weekend, but the ones below are good enough for me to return to.  I love LA.

Chinese

 - 101 Noodle Express (San Gabriel Valley)- for Beef Rolls, Dan dan mien

 - Green Zone (San Gabriel Valley)- for Hainese Chicken

 - Szechuan Impression (San Gabriel Valley)- for NICE Szchuan food (good service)

 - Pine and Crane (Los Feliz) - Hipster, organic refined Taiwanese.

 - Huge Tree Pastry (San Gabriel Valley) - Taiwanese breakfast - Fan tuan

 - Jazz Cat (San Gabriel Valley) - Individual hot pot

 - Atlantic Seafood (San Gabriel Valley) - for cheap dim sum (in a very modern Asian plaza with a daiso)

 - Elite (San Gabriel Valley) - Better quality dim sum (no carts)

 - Newport Seafood (San Gabriel Valley) - for that lobster

Korean

 - Bud Namu (Koreatown) - for CHEAP AYCE KBBQ - new facility, $12

 - Hae Jang Chon (Koreatown) - for stone grill style kbbq

 - Yu Chun Chic (Koreatown) - for Korean cold noodles. 

 - Eight Korean BBQ (Koreatown) - 8 different types of pork including ginseng, garlic etc. - pretty unique

Japanese

 - Silverlake Ramen (Silvelake) - for dipping noodles

 - Monzo (Little Tokyo) - for creamy udon

 - Kush (Echo Park)- for $$$ Japanese tapas

 - Coco Ichibanya (Koreatown)- Japanese curry.  Some people like Curry House better

 - Jist Cafe (Little Tokyo)- Cute cafe.  Get Chashu hash + rice.  Large portion

 - Sushi Enya (Little Tokyo) - American sushi rolls.  Get "no rice" rolls. They come out in bite sizes. Mmm

 - Tokyo Fried Chicken (San Gabriel Valley)- A different take on fried chicken with amazing ponzu dipping sauce and sides.

Indonesia

 - Simpang Asia (West LA)- general Indo food

 - Borneo (San Gabriel Valley) - Amazing nasi campur

Vietnamese

 - Golden Deli (San Gabriel Valley) - Very east, but probably the best 

 - Thai Lai (Hawthorne)  - For their Hu Tieu and Mi Quang

Thai

 - Luv2Eat (Hollywood) - For their jade noodles (dry)

 - Ruen Pair (Thai town)- Everything is amazing here.

 - Hoy-ka (Hollywood) - MMM Thai Noodle Soup

Eating Out March

Kaya Street Kitchen - Mid-City West - Bowl - sort of went overboard with this one
Maximiliano - Highland Park - Ricotta Pancake
Thai Lai - Lawndale - Hu Tieu
Ondal 2 - Koreatown - Spicy Crab Soup
Little Jewel of New Orleans - Chinatown - Po Boy + Crawfish Mac and Cheese
Yangi Gamjatang - Koreatown - Gamjatang
Yu Chun Chic - Koreatown - Saekimi bibim nangmyun

Milk and Honey - San Gabriel - Banana Crepe
Ha Tien Quan - San Gabriel - Cha gio re
Silverlake Ramen - Silverlake - Tsukemen Pork
Sonny's Hideaway - Highland Park - Fried Chicken
The City Fish - Downtown San Jose
Milk - Silverlake - Macaron Ice cream sandwich
Thai Lai - Lawndale - Banh Khot
Maximiliano - Highland Park - Eggs Benedict

Lots of food adventures in March, but of course the company makes it much more worthwhile...

But at the end of the day... everything is better with a warm cup of cheddar!

Except parking in DTLA.  Thank goodness for validation

September - Misc

This is awkward.  Well the awkward family photo happening at the Korean Friendship bell i Long Beach in the background is awkward.  But what's equally awkward is posting something from September the next year.    But how could I miss posting about my hair in food?!?

Hairchive: I found my hair very tall in September, but also very wild when I got closer to the ocean. Loose strands everywhere!

Eating Out September. 

It was a lot of food.  Thai, Chinese Seafood, Szechwan, Korean, Gourmet Burgers.

Eating Out August

A little late to the party.  This is what I consumed in August.

Green Zone (San Gabriel) - Mini Spicy Wontons.  I loved this dumplings, but the skin was too thick for my meal-mates.  I loved thick skin so I was pretty happy.
Homemade - Charles made this for Ern/Erik's pre-house warming party. Hiyashi chūka - really great summer dish and a winner at the party.  Pretty easy to make if you can find all the ingredients.
Kim Hua Hue (El Monte) - I made the guys drive all the way here for middle region Vietnamese food.  It wasn't worth the drive, but it was nice to see a place east of LA rather than going to the OC.  That's banh ram it and a sample platter.  More about it in my linked Yelp! review
Green Zone (San Gabriel) - Organic Hainan Chicken Rice.  The star of the show.  Jimmy felt that this dish was cleaner and less oily than Savoy who seems to own the market for Hainan chicken rice.
Auntie Em's Kitchen - (Eagle Rock) - After writing a lukewarm review, the owners reached out to me to give them another shot with a gift card!  This definitely made everything taste better.  The biscuits and gravy were solid... as in solid lard in your gut.  Guilty pleasure and please don't finish it in one sitting.
Teresa's Family Restaurant - I wanted to like this place, but for $10 we got a microwaved breakfast.  Look how sad those sausages are!
Bottega Louie (DTLA) - Burrata and roasted vine - I was blown away at how refined and delicious this simple dish was.  Highly recommend
Pizza Studio (DTLA) - I'm in love with the build your own pizza unlimited toppings revolution.  Always double garlic all the time
Mamita (Glendale) - Lomo saltado!  Yes yes yes.  A little pricey, but a great date spot.
Kim Hua Hue (El Monte) - This bun bo hue was confronting, but nothing to drive to
Bottega Louie (DTLA) - This eggplant parmesan was hard to eat.  Good, but it's aiiiight.
Jist Cafe (Little Toyko) - Chilaquiles.  Wasn't that great, stick to their amazing chashu hash skillet!
Mamita (Glendale) - This mixto ceviche was amazing.  They are very generous with the seafood and I was thrilled.  So happy!
Saap Cafe (Thai town) - Jade noodles.  Yes.  Order this.

I'm getting hungry.

Sunday Brunch at Escala

 Escala - Artistic Soul Food.

I was pleasantly surprised when I discovered Sunday Brunch at this place in Koreatown.  The Chapman Market Plaza looks like a mystery for any one who just drives past it down 6th street.  That's because all of the bars are facing inward so you don't have much of a store front.  But not any more with the entry of Escala.  The giant windows face the street and give patrons great ventilation and view.  I can hear in my head passerbys saying.. WHATS THAT!?!

The decor inside is very cool.  The DJ spinning tracks on Sunday adds to the vibe which I was soaking up all morning.  Some of the decorative elements are obviously added in, but some made me wonder if they were originally a part of the building.  There was a Spanish church/mission feel that I thought was very unique.

Eventually this place will be busy, but right now it's not on the radar and all the creatures-of-habit will continue go to their usual brunch spots and wait one hour for a seat.  While Escala smiles from across the street.

 Food was pretty good.  Portions are smaller than what I'm used to, but this is probably a good thing.  We should get away from the notorious American sizes.  #supersizeme.  Chilaquiles,  Eggs Benedict and Loco Moco interpretations get an A plus for plating... but nothing to travel out of the way for.  The venue and energy were the most delicious parts of the morning.

 Oh and this Mango Chili Mimosa... t  Though I wanted a better punch.  MORE Mango.  MORE Chili!  For that I should have ordered the Sancho Reyes.  But tequila in the morning.. i guess I've made worst decisions.

 Oh and the Cafe de Columbia is $.25.  No joke.  Get it.

Kush Sake Bar

I usually do a what-I-ate monthly round up, but I thought I would try something different using my camera phone pictures and VSCO cam app and focusing on a restaurant.  I wanted to treat out Jimmy this Monday evening by taking him to Kush.  A new sake bar in Echo Park that opened just two weeks ago.  It's exciting to be an "early adopter."  Is this tech term transferable to food?  Anyway, we thought it was just going to be overpriced Japanese bar food on sticks, but we were delightfully surprised by every dish that we ordered.

While I was enjoying my usual tsukemen at Silverlake Ramen last week, the server handed me the menu to Kush - a restaurant closer to my house by the same owner.  I felt like I was getting tipped off on a brand new exciting place! I love Silverlake Ramen - despite the implications of its name, Silverlake Ramen is not water-down Americanized ramen.

Anyway, we drove 1.5 miles and found residential parking and sat at the booth.  Only one other person was there.  We started the meal with mushroom with truffle salt (4) which was the perfect appetizer.  Jimmy looked up at me with surprise, "this is really good."

The dips that come with the meal are great to enhance the flavors, but everything was very well seasoned.  The dips included: pepper/salt magic, sweet Japanese mayonnaise and soy sauce daikon.

Jimmy loved the chicken liver pate, brie cheese, honey on toast (4.50).  The berry on top added perfect sweetness.  The japanese pumpkin with honey sauce (3) was tasty and a good filling dish if you're worried about getting full.

The Japanese Meatball (9) which is a chicken meatball, poached egg and mashed potato was so savory and amazing.  We licked the bowl clean.  We also ordered marinated pork belly (3.5) which is always a winner.  I found myself really savoring each bite and dipping it in each dipping piece to see how the flavor would be enhanced.  The pork belly is definitely better than the wagyu beef (6) probably because it was fattier.

Kush is really pushing to be a sake bar and offered tastings of the "Mirror of Truth-seiko."  This was recommended to us by the server as the best pairing to our order.  Jimmy declared that it was really refreshing and perfect.  We will order this next time we come!  We also had the hot sake which warmed our bellies!

The bill came in this cute vintage cigarette box that looks like it came from the Rose Bowl Flea market.

5 stars! Trendy, classy and very affordable for refined and exquisite taste.

http://www.yelp.com/biz/kush-sake-bar-los-angeles-3

Eating out June

June was a very colorful month for food. MMMMMM.

Cha Cha Chili - Alhambra - Spicy Pork Sliders.  Next to Chengdu Taste, a casual spot that's not too popular
SweetSalt - Toluca Lake - Salad with duck on top
Pink's Taco - Century City - Lobster Enchilada... tastes like it sounds
Samosa House Sunset - Silverlake - Pakora
AOC - Plate of bread stuff
Chicken and Rice - Cypress Park - The appeal in New York is that's is available and quick and open when youre drunk.  This store front is very unknown and tastes pretty much the same.  But the experience is quite different.
Ramen - Somewhere in the South Bay... Ramen is blending together
Square One at the Boat House - Patty Melt at the lake... delicious
C & O Trattoria - Marina del Rey - Great Italian food, fun vibe
Isaan Station - Northern Thai cuisine, got their Khai Yang Ob Oong (Charcoal grilled turmeric marinated chicken) so good
Cha Cha Chili - Alhambra - Kim Chi Quesidilla
Samosa House Sunset -
Taco Bell - Joe got me this waffle breakfast thing for my birthday
Rock N Brew - El Segundo - it's like a Yard House.  These Hawaiian tacos were alright.
Coffee Chop Place by Soul Cycle - Sunset Strip - Pizza... expensive pizza
Lemonade - Manhattan Beach - Tuna in Avacado.  My go to healthy snack

Eating Out May

Pine and Crane (Silverlake) - Dan dan mien... it didn't do it for me.
Suberba Snack Bar (Venice) - Homemade pasta... so good.  so chewy!
Cafe Vida (Culver City) - White sangria
Pho Broadway (Chinatown DTLA)- Duck in Egg Noodle Soup
Grimaldi's (El Segundo - Tiramisu.  Probably the best I've had
Bun Shop (Koreatown) - Just buns... over priced
Tsujita Annex (Sawtelle) - Tsukemen which gave me the shits.
Ruen Pair (Thai Town) - Blue Crab Papaya Salad
Cha Cha Chicken (West Side) - Their fried chicken special.  Could use more SPICE!
Pho Cafe (Silverlake) - Tumeric Fish on Vermicelli
Wako (Koreatown)- Tonkatsu
Suberba Snack Bar (Venice)  - Toast with Balsalmic drizzle and gooey cheese
Suberba Snack Bar (Venice) - Squid Ink somethannng
Pappa Rich (Koreatown) - Laksa... yumz!
Bun... not sure where.
Jazz Cat (San Gabriel) - Veggiessssss

I'm starting to get lazy... you guys can google this stuff.  But damn, I ate well in May!

FOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOODDDDD

Eating Out - January 2014

I'm really lucky to have a food companion.  Jimmy and I go on tons of food adventures and together we Eat out LA until all parties are completely satisfied.  We have our favorite spots like Kula Rotating Sushi bar to get our $2 plate fair quality fix.  We enjoy the occasional burger adventure like checking out the signature Umami Burgers from each locations.  We also do a lot of breakfast spots like Square One at the Boat House.  Nothing makes me happier.

I'm all over Yelp!   And I'm actually pretty impressed with what I consumed in January.  Here we go!

• Mess Hall -  New American, Meh
• Thai Lai - Vietnamese, Hawthorne, CA
• Viet Place... forgot the name, but they had a great clam salad
• Marugame Monzo - Japanese Udon, Negitoro Bowl, Little Tokyo, LA
• The Roof on Wilshire - Mediocre brunch, amazing view, LA
• Kanpai Ramen - Don't get tomato ramen, Glendale, LA
• Raffis Place - Middle Eastern, Glendale
• Tribal Cafe - For creative juices, sandwiches, grungy, LA
• Neri's - Filipino Breakfast, Westlake, LA
• Bea Bea's - Breakfast, Burbank
• Noodle House in Ktown - for Jajameon, I can't find the name, but the portions are huge!
• The Grids - Waffle Shop, Alhambra, CA

Eating Out August

Enjoyed these Chicken Potpie like morsels at King Hua dim sum in Alhambra and of course my favorite - flakey taro crescents.  This place takes out the fun in dim sum carts and allows customers to select what they want to eat from a menu.  Less fun, but more fresh!

Stopped by Fosselman's Ice Cream which has a lot of history.  I'm not one to love or crave ice cream, but this was a lovely treat.

Found some boba at Bobaloca near my work.  They also served amazing sandwiches and a pretty solid milk tea for this area.  Oh look!  I match the silhouette!

Found a hidden gem in Monterey Park reading Gastronomy Blog.  This cute Burmese restaurant called Daw Yee Myanmar Cafe is worth checking for their fried dishes and tea salad.  Didn't like the noodle dishes too much, but this place definitely is unique.

Stopped by Tasty Garden for a Hong Kong style dinner.  Charles was hoping for Hong Kong Tea without milk.  Waitress said no.

This Silverlake Ramen gave me intense indigestion.  Probably because it was extra fatty, spicy and flavorful and my body was still adjusting from coming back from Asia.  Dab was moving out and gave us a couple of things to remind us of him like old cameras and books he never read.

Yu Chun probably serves the best Naeng Myun or Korean Cold Noodles in town.  I never really liked this dish because I felt like I was going to choke on the noodles.  But on a hot summer day (look how they're dressed) it was really good.  Their bibimbap is spectacular as well!  Huge portion and should be shared.   Our meal came with this soup that I swear tasted like KFC.  We concluded it was just a bowl of MSG.  Mmmmmmmmm.  My new fav!

Huan came to town so we stopped by BCD Tofu House.  Nothing much else to say about this very popular soondubu joint.

NOM NOM NOM AUGUST!

Am I Vegan Now? And Eating Out June

Above is my animal rights coworker's necklace.  I was really amused so I took a picture.  But she has the last laugh now as my gastro problems keep increasing with age.  Can I not be a self proclaimed foodie and enjoy a healthy life?

I went to the doctor yesterday because the cramps were killer.  My frequent visits to the restroom come with terrible pain and the release wasn't satisfying.  What is wrong with me?  My doctor confirmed that the Taco Bell adventure immediately after my return from Indonesia was not a good idea and that I should stay on liquids for 24 hours and then ease myself back into American processed food using the BRAT diet (Bananas, Rice, Applesauce and Toast.)

I knew I was not myself when I was looking at vegan options of gelato.  OMG.

Not fun - when I finally was able to eat today, I had Vegetarian Japanese Curry... arguing that it was on a bed of rice.  I'm always cheating.   Thankfully I'm still okay!

I do feel skinnier, but man I need my intestines to strengthen, NOT weaken.  But I have my lactaid pills from Costco ready!

In the mean time this is what I ate in June:

Manila Sunset - This is the Filipino bibingka - cheesey, coconutty dessert.  It was better the first time, but definitely try it out!  I really crave Filipino food except maybe adobo and tocino.... drool
Chaya Downtown LA - This pheasant was a part of their Summer Happy Hour and it was good but so $$$$.  And no one was here!  This joint is definitely for the weekday business person
Good Girl Dinette - Amazing Chicken pot pie.  Not Vietnamese food!
Coco Laurent DTLA - Terrible, dont go here
Starling Diner in Long Beach - Very saucy... i love saucy
Beverly Chicken - Excited for Mediterranean Chicken, but it just didn't meet expectations!  Others disagree, but I would make the treck to Zankou for something better!
Starling Diner in Long Beach - Met up with my family here, this place is so cute
Ktown City Center Food Court - There's a hidden food court that's pretty good and cheap!   I ordered from Terikiss, but I recommend the bimbinbap from its neighbor
Korean Hotdog - Dealth, but no worries - the place is closed down.  That sweet roll tho
Office - I used left over condiments from our burger bar to make guac.  Success!!
Korean Hotdog - So this place is closed down, but this was a bulgogi dog!  YUM!
BCD Tofu - Fried Dumpling was pretty good!  Especially when you're buzzed
Beer Belly - Grilled Cheese.  This was amazing!!!  The best white food in Ktown!

Eating Out March

Most of my food adventures are documented on Yelp!  Though I'm elite, I haven't been to their notorious events.  That's also on the to-do list this year!

http://letopho.yelp.com

For now, here's a collection of things I've been eating in March.

Umani Ramen - Umemura Restaurant
Creme Brulee Cheesecake - Nakkara
Oven Roasted Bone Marrow - Bacaro LA
Fries and Meat - Some food truck at Grand Park
The Bacaro Burger - Bacaro LA
Macarons - Bottega Louie
Middle Eastern Dish - Hayat's Kitchen
Half Fried Dumplings - Shanghai No 1 Seafood Village
Loco Moco Hotdog - Hawaiian Food Truck
Cheese Hotdog Thing - Random Korean Place
Wings - Pann's Restaurant 
Chinese Family Style  - Jade Wok
Hawaiian Nachos - The place closed down!!
Apple Dumpling Hook's Cheddar - The Hart and the Hunter
Smoked Trout, Avocado Toast - The Hart and the Hunter

I'm surprised I was able to remember where I devoured these dishes, but I guess it's because they've all made an impression.  If only meeting new people was this easy.

Eating Out May

Jitlada - Giant Prawns.  Really overpriced Thai place riding it's Jonathan Gold review
Blossom Vietnamese Restaurant - Great duck egg noodle dish
Marugame-Monzo - Udon Gratin - Creamy to perfection
India Sweets and Spices - A bunch of things
Gigi's Bakery - Best Cuban tamale ever
Pingtung Eat-In Market - Creative gyoza
Homemade - Vietnamese Corn drizzle
India Sweets and Spices - Samosa Chana - Tikki masala - basically everything
Marugame-Monzo - Braised Pork Belly
Borneo, Kalimantan Cuisine - Laksa!  Probably the best I've had outside of Singapore
Borneo, Kalimantan Cuisine - Nasi Campur - simple and amazing rice dish
Morning Nights - Quiche
Homemade - Gumbo!
Chego - Chubby Pork Belly

A little redundant since I post these pictures on my instagram.  But I like the collages.

Eating Out April

A collage of food that I consumed in April

Grilled Salmon - True Foods
Cupcakes - Lark Cake Shop for Alysia's Birthday
Mediterranean Catering - From Work.  I like to bring leftover home and have a party
Chinese Tamale - Half & Half. I was intrigued by the name.. but it was just gluttonous rice.  Meh
Rabbit Food - True Food
Fried Rice -  Hae Jang Chon. It's dessert for KBBQ
Bun Mam - Ha Tien Quan.  Like pho, but more vinegar and sour.  Comfort South East Asian food
Banh Khot - Ha Tien Quan.
Mango - Thai Town, Thai New Years Festival
Tuna Crispy Rice - Paiche . Wrote a long review on what dishes to get!  With more pictures
Carbonara Udon - Marugame Monzo - Life Changing
Curry Udon - Marugame Monzo - Don't get this one
Nachos - Rosa Mexicana - Overpriced, but innovative
Egg Rolls with Compressed Noodles - Ha Tien Quan. Thanks to Gastronomy blog I finally found it!  I LOVE THIS DISH
Jerk Chicken - Back a Yard

Mislabeled - Culinary Faux Pas

#fail

OH HELL NO.
You would think that Las Vegas chefs know the difference between Banh Mi and Pork Buns.  But even the Chow Mein... cutely served in an Asian American take-out box was mislabeled as Udon.  This must be a joke.  This must be an amateur mistake by a staff member throwing out signs without consulting anyone.  Regardless.  Come on people.

Banh Mi is NOT a newly discovered dish.  Banh Mi is consumed by college kids because of how good it is, how cheap it is and how popular it is because of famous food trucks and chains like Lee's Sandwiches.  Banh Mi is known by all Vietnamese cuisine lovers scattered around the world due to the Vietnamese diaspora. How can you make this mistake Wicked Spoon?!?

Why is this so offensive?  Because... Banh Mi is amazing and those who never had Banh Mi before will be very confused and be misinformed... and it shows a culinary ignorance that should not happen in a world renowned Las Vegas buffet at The Cosmopolitan.

Is this an "interpretation" of Banh Mi?  No.  The vessel is a steamed bun...  you cannot lay two pieces of pizza together and label it a sandwich... maybe you can call it a Pizzwich or I dont know... a Calzone.  You cannot mix around Asian ingredients and hope no one notices.

Did I sit around in silence?  Of course not... I stood up... found a waiter and asked him where the bathroom was so that I can tweet the hotel.  And this is what happened:

My work here is done... and if you don't know what a Banh Mi is... here it is below:

by unlimited_awd

Doesn't that make you angry?  Or at least hungry?!  Hungry for justice.  That's what it makes me.

Date Night at Bashan

For those who just like looking at food.

Jimmy took me out to Bashan - French American in Glendale.  4 1/2 stars on Yelp! !
Thanks Groupon for the discovery!

Pork Belly 14

Roasted Butternut Squash Soup $12 

Prime Flat Iron Steak 27

Buttermilk Panna Cotta 8

Olive oil Poached King Salmon 27

Chocolate Bread Pudding 8